EFFECT OF SEVERE FROST ON ANIMAL LIFE. 297 
_ everything was hard frozen again, with a cold north-east wind, 
and at five o’clock a fine dust-like snow began falling, which before 
morning had covered the ground to a depth of three inches. 
I went out in my punt for a short time and secured eight Widgeon 
and four Ducks, but lost a fine shot at Ducks through the tube 
missing fire. 
On the 28th a thaw set in, and continued all day. By the 
29th the grass began to reappear after being covered by frozen 
snow for exactly sixteen days, and, rain coming on, the thaw 
became so rapid that by the last day of the year the fields were 
quite cleared of snow. 
The destruction of life amongst small birds, caused by cold 
and starvation, was very great, and the Snipe were almost exter- 
minated by shooting, trapping, and snaring. Some idea of 
the numbers destroyed may be formed from the fact that over 
one thousand Snipe passed through the hands of a game-dealer in 
Ballina in one week, and such were the numbers of game-birds 
and wild-fowl thrown on the market, that I have seen the game- 
dealer referred to refuse to purchase Woodcocks at any price. 
At this time Snipe in the hands of salesmen in Manchester could 
not be sold even at the low price of twopence each. The country 
boys in this district became so expert in the use of rabbit-traps, 
that they took all sorts of game and wildfowl, and by setting 
them in the unfrozen springs and drains captured Snipe, Wood- 
cocks, Curlews, Wild Ducks, Widgeon, Teal, and even Wild 
Geese. I heard of one boy taking three White-fronted Geese 
with traps at a spring not a mile from the town of Ballina. 
The clearing of the ground from snow afforded only temporary 
relief to the birds, for on the 1st of January the frost returned, 
hardening the ground so much as to prevent their feeding, and 
the Rooks and Blackbirds were only too glad to feed with the 
fowls in the yard. No Thrushes, however, appeared, having 
apparently all died off, and only one Robin came to the door- 
step to be fed; one that came regularly to the back window must 
have died, as for some days before the thaw set in it presented a 
very miserable appearance with its feathers all ruffled. The 
Sparrows all disappeared, and of the large flocks of Chaffinches, 
Green Linnets, and Yellowhammers which previously haunted 
the barn-door, not more than four or five of each species were to 
be seen. 
2Q 
